Thankgiving
by Troypayisbetter
Summary: She was all alone, with no-one to celebrate with. And that was a sobering thing. So why not make her feel like family? And if one thing leads to another? Wouldn't it all turn out for the best?
1. Chapter 1

Thanksgiving

When he entered, he was surprised to see her already sitting at her desk, sketching quickly. The look on her face showed the level of her concentration, and watching her work, he was suddenly catapulted to a time when he was like her; always early, jumping for a chance to draw a new sketch—for another chance to dream. The light in her room was a sharp contrast to the dark Parisian morning and the darkness crowding into every corner of the warehouse.

"Cobb…stop staring, you're making me nervous."

He jumped, blinking quickly as the memory fell from his eyes like a heavy curtain. Jeez she was scary. How could she always tell who was watching her? He could understand completely if she could only tell that she was being watched…it was a skill that they all had; a perfected skill necessary for survival in this business. But, she seemed to be a level higher than even himself, and it never stopped to amaze him.

"Uh…sorry Ariadne. I was just surprised that you were already here that's all." A sigh escaped him as he entered the room. She must have turned her two space heaters on and now the room was bathed in warmth. It only showed how long ago she had gotten here. "How long have you been here?"

She didn't look up, not for a second. Instead she focused on shading in the stovetop, the only sound the whirring of the heaters and the scratching of her charcoal pencil. "I lost track…maybe an hour? Hour and a half?"

"You know, a good architect needs to sleep."

"The same could be said for you."

He stayed silent, and he saw the pencil freeze in her hand. "Cobb…I'm sorry. I'm just a little…touchy today. It's almost thanksgiving and…."

"You miss your family."

She nodded and her softly curled hair bounced a little, and for the first time she looked up. Her eyes looked shiny, and he was frightened that she would start crying soon. He had never been that good with women when they cried. Perfectly fine with every other emotion, but he was completely overwhelmed and useless when the tears started.

"Ariadne…please…please don't cry…"

She nodded, taking a deep breath. "I know…I just…I miss them…ya' know?"

He nodded, crouching down. "I know. I remember when I had first started."

"What…what happened?"

"Well, I had just started working as an architect, and in a way, you remind me a lot of myself. I was sitting in the studio, sketching the mark's house-it was a standard extraction, nothing like our Inception. It was starting to get close to Christmas. The Salvation Army Santa was out with a vengeance; kids were out with their parents, looking into stores through the display windows with these looks of pure… _happiness_ across their face. Christmas songs were starting, and decorations were going up and all the while I worked diligently in the warehouse, sketching quickly and making harsh judgments on it—nothing was right in my opinion."

She was sitting now, quieted nicely by his revelation to her. She stared at him, her eyes never wavering. "And one night, while everyone was working, it started snowing. And just when it felt like it couldn't get any worse, it did."

"What happened?"

"Someone placed a cup of hot chocolate on my desk."

"Mal?"

"Mal."

She stared at him for a second, and Cobb couldn't tell if she was just giving him a moment to recover, or if she was waiting for him to continue. Finally, she found her voice. "What…what happened?"

"I had a mental breakdown."

"You..."

"In a way, I lost it. I threw the mug across the room. I started pulling things off the wall and ripping them and crumpling them and hurling them. I punched our Forger in the face. And then I left."

"You left?"

"For two days, I walked around the city. I slept on benches and got food from sympathetic bakers."

"And after that?"

"Mal found me in the park, by the Seine. She took me home, gave me a new set of clothes, and let me take a shower. And after that, we sat down and had a nice talk. She told me she knew exactly what I was feeling and that if I would like, I could come and spend Christmas with her."

"And did you?"

"I did…and during that time, we shared many things. Secrets. Facts. Love."

"Love?"

He nodded to her. "Love."

"I was ok after that."

She gave him a weird look after a few seconds of silence, one that was deep and yet not uncomfortable. Then "Why…Cobb…why are you telling me this?"

He looked at her for a few seconds, before smiling. "What I'm trying to say is…I know how you feel. And it does get better. You just…have to make the best of what you have available, and remember that although you aren't with your biological family…you're with a new family… your adoptive…sarcastic…family."

She nodded.

"Ariadne…would you like to come to my Thanksgiving dinner? It'll be small, nothing you're used to." She gave him a look and he smiled. "Arthur did some digging. Don't look affronted, it's nothing personal, we just had to make sure that you were safe and trustworthy…and nothing in your past would come back to haunt you."

She smiled and nodded softly.

"Anyway, it'll be a small get together. Just myself, the kids and Miles. You're invited….if you'd like to come that is."

She smiled, and her eyes again grew shiny. "I would love to. Thanks Cobb."

"You're welcome." He smiled up at her, and patted her shoulder. It was at that second that he heard the creaking of the warehouse door. Straightening up, he smoothed out his jacket, and leaned against her chair as she quickly turned back to her sketch, wiping a stray tear off her cheeks.

"It looks really good Ariadne. You're making good progress. You might be done ahead of schedule. "

He turned to see Arthur and Eames enter mid conversation. Eames said something that made Arthur roll his eyes and turn from him, but what that was he didn't know. The space heaters were making listening to conversations outside the room almost impossible. Arthur nodded quickly at Cobb, and glanced a little longer than necessary at Ariadne before walking toward his desk against the wall, closest to Ariadne. Eames crossed the main room, and closed the door to his room. The clattering sound of glassware was heard, and the small, popping sounds as the pilot light over the oven turned on. Another whirr and the other space heaters started.

Rubbing her shoulder for just a fleeting second, he left the room, walking back into the main room and toward Arthur. Arthur had already started on his work, his two laptops shining brightly in the almost dark room. Ariadne had once remarked that the warehouse needed better lighting—among other things. They had already refitted the room with more comfortable furniture and wooden cabinets. But…they all knew it wasn't enough. More was needed.

Sitting down on the edge of his desk, Arthur looked up quickly, his eyes quizzical and slightly annoyed, but it quickly disappeared when he motioned for Arthur to follow him into his office. As the door closed behind him, Arthur slid into a chair, his feet resting on top of his desk, next to a stack of papers. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing it's just…Ariadne"

"What about Ariadne?" He had sat up quicker than Cobb had thought possible, and now all attention was focused on what Cobb had to say.

"She's really homesick. This morning…you can't say anything because I don't think she'd want it said but…she was near tears. I invited her to my house for dinner tomorrow, for Thanksgiving. I was thinking…maybe we do something special. What if we made it special…I mean _really _special. Make her really feel like this group…our group…is her family."

Arthur was silent for only about two seconds. "I agree. Anything for Ariadne…but…who's going?"

"Well, myself, of course…James, Phillipa, Miles, you, Eames, Yusuf, and Ariadne."

"So small."

"Exactly. Now, to not draw attention to our plan, we have to act normally. You're still going away for Thanksgiving. I'm still only inviting her to a family dinner. And Eames…we'll cross that bridge when we get there. The only obstacle we might face is Yusuf…he's horrible with lying…especially to Ariadne—he has a sweet spot for her you know."

Arthur nodded. "Now, let's put off our discussion for a while. We don't want to draw to attention the fact that we are planning something. Ariadne needs to be surprised."

Cobb nodded, before standing up and stretching. "So, we're doing this?"

"Yes." Arthur said firmly. Nodding to Cobb again, he slicked back his head, fixed his coat, and opened the door, crossing out quickly.

The warehouse door closed behind her, and Arthur watched her go wistfully. She was so beautiful. And he felt a slight pang in his heart unknown to him before when he thought about how much she was hurting on the inside, even though on the outside she was so strong. Turning back, he saw Eames and Yusuf exit from the back room and come toward him. Cobb was already seated on one of the sofa's that had been maneuvered in front of the blackboard. Sitting down in their own chairs they finally turned toward him.

"Arthur darling, what are we doing?"

"We're here to talk about the holidays."

"And why in God's name should we do that?"

"We're planning something…a surprise if you will…for Ariadne."

Arthur could tell Eames' interest was piqued. He leaned forward—just a fraction closer, not enough for your average person to know…but a Point Man missed nothing. He could already see the cogs in his brain working. He just didn't know if it was for better or worse. Surprisingly, Yusuf interjected. "Um…excuse me…um…I'm shit with keeping secrets…so if this is a secret that we shouldn't -"

"It is."

"—then maybe it would be better that I _not_ know…for the sake of keeping secrets."

"If you couldn't keep secrets you wouldn't be here right now. We'd have found someone more trustworthy."

"It's not that I can't keep them…I just can't keep them from her."

"She is very good at wheedling them out of you."

"Extremely."

"Oh for God's sake just shut it so we can figure this out before Ari gets back."

"Right. So, Cobb has invited Ariadne over to his house for Thanksgiving because she isn't feeling too well right now."

"I can relate."

"No, she doesn't need to go to the toilet; she misses her mum and dad."

"I KNOW THAT dammit."

"Right. Just making sure."

"ANYWAY." He interjected. Those too could fight for hours if left unchecked. And if that happened then there was no way they would get anything planned for her surprise. "I was thinking. We need to find things out…her favorite holiday food…favorite drink…"

"That bloody well didn't come up in that secret file of yours?"

"Eames…I don't check out what favorite food they like or what they usually drink. Not unless we're using them as the mark and clearly Ariadne is no mark."

"At least, not in that sense."

Arthur gave him a look, and turned away, his skin reddening just below his collar. Oh God…Eames knew he liked her?

"So, unfortunately, Eames…since you're the best at finding out information quickly…I need you to get Ariadne to tell you anything and everything useful."

"Right. Best get on that."

"HOLD ON."

Cobb stood up. "Yusuf what if you came over early and helped me make dinner."

"But I…I…"

"Cooking is a lot like chemistry. You have to add the right amount of each item to make the whole product delicious…just like you have to add the right amount of chemicals to make the right sleeping draught."

"I highly doubt that…but alright…even if your analogy was crude at best."

Cobb smiled and sat down. "Arthur what will you bring?"

"I'll bring…the wine."

"Excellent…you do always find the best ones." Yusuf had a wide, happy grin on his face.

"Thanks Yusuf."

"Hold on, what shall we tell our pretty little architect when she starts inquiring where we're going for the holidays. We can't all tell her different stories. What if we forget? Or she asks one of us where the others are going. WE need some sort of alibi…just in case."

"Right…um…I'm going on an early flight to New England to find out some more information on our mark…he has….connections in America."

"Perfect Arthur, she probably already thinks all you do is work."

He froze on the inside_. God he hoped not. He didn't want Ariadne to think he was boring….he wanted her to think he was…adventurous…maybe suave_…"Well Eames if you don't like it, then please by all means tell me what I should do…"

"You should go skiing in the Alps."

"Skiing."

"In the Alps."

"Skiing."

"YES! Jesus. I knew you weren't the smartest in the bunch, Yusuf takes that bag…maybe even myself and Ariadne…and Cobb…but I didn't think you were this daft."

"I don't ski."

"Does she know that?"

"Well…no…"

"Then what's the problem?"

Arthur was by this time pacing back and forth in front of the blackboard, equally trying to not throttle Eames while also trying to figure out what his explanation would be."

"I think it would be too close to what we did in the Fischer job. "

"Oh. Right…we'll come back to you later. I'm going to be shagging all night with some pretty little blonde up in my room. Fits I reckon."

"Oh yes…she won't question that one."

"Yusuf?"

"Well…since I don't actually celebrate Thanksgiving…it's an American holiday anyway, can't I say that I'm just going to sleep?"

"NO. Worst. Idea. Ever."

"And why is that?"

"Because then she might ask you to hang out with her…maybe even see if you would come with her to Cobb's"

"Ah."

"So?"

"I'll be working with highly dangerous chemicals all night to try to complete this new idea I've had for a sleeping draught that-"

"You're making this up right?"

"No no…actually by combining a small dosage of highly concentrated tryptophan to another highly concentrated-"

"Right…he's settled."

"I don't need one; I've already established with her that we're having a small Thanksgiving with the family that she can go to." Cobb smiled brightly; clearly pleased he wouldn't have to lie to her.

"Fine…now back to our dear Arthur."

"Shut up, I'm perfectly fine."

"I still think you should come up with something better."

"Um…"

"Common Arthur."

"I could….maybe…visiting an old friend up in Italy."

"Perfect. Exotic. Mysterious. You'll have her thinking about who it could be and what you're doing up there for at least two days."

Yusuf froze. His body went rigid for a second and he stood up and crossed the room faster than he ever did normally. "She's coming back!"

They scrambled away, Cobb into his office, closing the door behind him with a small click. Arthur launched himself into his computer chair, grabbing his pen quickly and starting to scribble down anything of importance on the two web pages open. Eames just sat there, leaning back and closing his eyes, his feel propped up on the arm of the chair opposite him. The door creaked open and in walked Ariadne, laden with food for them to eat. "I'M BACK!"

"Hey Ariadne…cold outside?"

"Yes…the weatherman said it might snow…"

"In time for Thanksgiving?"

She nodded, before crossing to the back of the room (really the right side, but it was behind him) to the small kitchenette that had been installed only a few months ago. "Come and get it!"

Instantly, everyone flooded out of the rooms, crossing over to the kitchen. They acted normally, chatting and joking, laughing and smiling brightly. This was perfect. There plan might work out after all.

For the next couple of days, Ariadne inquired about what everyone else was doing for the holidays. Naturally, she went to him first, while he was typing quickly on a word document. He didn't look up untill she had sat on his desk and asked him. He had turned, not at all startled, with only the twinkling of something behind his eyes.

"Oh me? I'm off to Italy to see an old friend of mine. I'll be back the day after Thanksgiving."

Her face was crestfallen- only for a fraction of a second, she seemed to compose herself so fast that Arthur had trouble figuring out if she had really made a face at all. "Oh…that sounds…fun. Who's your friend?"

"Just someone I met a long time ago. Nothing out of the ordinary…just likes to keep a low profile."

"Oh…so you'll be gone the whole time?"

He shook his head, diverting his attention back to his work, trying to end the conversation. Guilt was worming its ugly head into his consciousness. He hated lying to Ariadne, even if it was for a good cause. But she stayed by his desk for a few seconds, during which he found it very difficult to not just look up and stare. Or breathe in her perfume. Either way, he was having difficulty breathing. Finally she had left, and walked back slowly to her desk.

She had next cornered Eames while pouring herself a cup of tea. Eames was going over some paperwork, and meanwhile trying to learn a bit of French. He had never stayed this long in Paris and he wanted to impress some girls. He couldn't be trying to hook up with girls and make himself a complete fool. That would be a disaster.

"Eames?"

"'Ello darling. What's up?"

"Eames…ready for the holidays?"

"Counting down the days love…counting them down."

"What…what are you doing?" She sat down across from him, sipping her tea slowly, her eyes diverted and traveling around the room.

"Oh…you know. I'm off to find myself a pretty piece of ass. Girls are so desperate during the holidays. Hopefully I'll be having myself a nice shag by two am."

She crinkled her face and Eames chuckled. "Oh come now darling, surely you aren't so prudish."

"I am not a prude. I just find it…well…stupid that you would spend your holiday with some…whore."

He chuckled again…"Maybe darling…maybe."

"Speaking of activities…what are you up to this fine holiday week?"

"Well…not much. I'm going to Cobb's house for Thanksgiving. After that…I have no plans."

"Well darling…maybe after Thanksgiving, we could hang out ourselves…spend some quality time…"he winked at her and she laughed.

"I don't think so Eames. I'm nobodies sloppy second."

"Right you are darling…right you are."

She looked over at the clock, and her eyes widened a little. "I have to get back. Cobb wants to check up on my sketches in an hour and if I finish my last one I'm out of here early."

"Well then by all means. I'll talk to you later Ari."

"Bye Eames."

She kissed his cheek—something she had started doing a few months after Inception when the two had somehow grown on each other between a bar and saving each other's lives.

It wasn't for another two days that she could ask Yusuf what he was doing for the holidays. He had been elusive lately, hiding behind his chemistry set like some mad scientist, or always mumbling incoherent and often jumbled words that not only gave her chills but managed to frighten all that overheard. They had just finished a meeting-their last untill after the holidays and Yusuf was just starting to pack up his supplies for the short trek back to his room in the back of the building, surrounded by a myriad of extinguishing supplies.

"Yusuf…how are you?"

He gulped. He had been afraid that she would come to him soon, and he had been unprepared. He had reasoned he would have enough time to prep himself while she walked over. But he had been preoccupied with packing all his supplies and he had been caught off guard. "Ariadne…"

"How are you?"

"I'm well…a little startled to see you, I wasn't expecting you of course…how are you?"

"I'm alright. Ready for a break…how about you?"

"Oh yes, well chemicals never take a break I'm afraid. They need constant supervision."

"Oh really? What are you doing for Thanksgiving?"

"I'll mostly be here, working on trying to combine a few new chemicals to make one super sleeping draught that could, theoretically of course, let us go down to any depth while still being able to come too after being killed. The only problem will be in testing this draught. We'll have to see."

"So, you won't be doing anything else for the holidays?"

"Well, I don't really celebrate Thanksgiving. No…I'm just going to be here, perfecting my chemical."

She nodded, clearly disappointed. "Oh, yes…I guess so. We'll I'll talk to you later."

She had left disappointed, on that Wednesday. Nobody else in her group was doing anything remarkably interesting that she could be included in. She wasn't going to fly all the way out to Italy to observe Arthur making love to some beautiful girl in a vineyard in Italy. She certainly wasn't going to have sex with Eames…no she couldn't. It would be like betraying Arthur. And of course, even lovable, awkward Yusuf was doing something that she couldn't partake in. She was just even more alone. Well, she'll have to take what she can get. If she was going to spend a day with Cobb, and then that was it for the whole rest of vacation, then so be it.

The walk to the bus stop was uneventful. She could have sworn she saw the same Mercedes pass her a few times, which only made her a little more nervous and she speed up quickly. She stayed close to a young French girl just in case it was anyone from a past Extraction thinking about hurting her—and even though she knew it wouldn't help much to stand next to this awkward, helpless person, it gave her a false sense of security.

He turned off the main road, and looped back around toward the warehouse. He had a few more papers to finalize and just a few more pieces of information to find before he could go off to find the best wine in the world for the party. He would make this perfect. He was happy that she had been aware enough to see that he had passed her once or twice—evident by her sudden increase in speed and by how close she was to the stranger on the bus. She would be safe, but…maybe he should go to her house and watch…make sure she got in safe? It couldn't hurt…and plus his windows were tinted and he could rent a new car just in case she grew suspicious. It wouldn't do to have her discover it was him.

The turn signal blinking, he made a right instead of going straight and blew up the street toward her neighborhood. The bus was far behind him now, but it would catch up soon. He parked behind a bush next to the sidewalk—a high one that nobody could see over and waited as she approached.

She looked beautiful when the cold wind blew around her. He loved the way the scarf whipped around her neck and how her hair blew. It was soft, elegant, and yet messy on its own. Just what he needed in life. He had to do something special…something he wouldn't normally do. Buy her something and give it to her after the party…maybe a nice scarf…or something better. What kind of jewelry did she like? He'd have to watch her. He waited untill she opened the door to her apartment building—one he would be sure to talk her out of. It wasn't in the best neighborhood, and there might be times when he couldn't follow her home. Zooming away, he turned up the radio and sung along, the warm air in the car only adding to his happiness. He would get her. She would be his by the end of the weekend.

The next day was the last one before the holiday started, and Arthur had arrived late—just like usually. Every Friday and the day before a holiday started, Arthur came in around 8:40 instead of his usual 7:00. As he entered, he was met by warm air and the smell of coffee and then Cobb had come around from the counter and toward him. "Happy Thanksgiving Arthur."

"Thanks Cobb. You too."

Cobb looked at him for a moment, his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he was trying to decipher something. "You're up to something."

"I am not." He was quickly pulled to the office, the door closed tightly behind him. "What are you up too?"

He sighed, he wouldn't be leaving untill Cobb found out. His curiosity was just as bad as Ariadne's…must be an architect thing. "I got her a…present."

"What kind of present?"

"A special one."

He smiled brightly. "You're going to ask her out. Do it right, and you won't mess up. Just…you don't need me to tell you about the dangers of shared dreaming."

"Don't worry Cobb. We won't be going down the same road."

Cobb nodded. "Fine."

"Speaking of Ariadne…where is she?"

"She took the day off. She finished all her work early and its very good. I told her she could start teaching it to us after vacation…it's very detailed. I can't wait to see it."

He nodded, slightly disappointed but happy all the same. She _was _everything he needed. Hard working, elegant, outgoing…perfect. Eames didn't show up either that day, and the occasional loud bang or breaking of glass told him that Yusuf was in the back. But he didn't see when he left, his mind to preoccupied. It took a while to finish his work—longer than necessary but when he did he sighed happily. Grabbing his jacket, he threw it on, before shaking Cobb's hand. "See you tomorrow night."

"Don't forget…the right time."

He nodded, his eyes roving the room. "BYE YUSUF!"

There was a grunt—that must be his goodbye—and then he had turned and pulled open the door. He nodded to Cobb once more before hopping into his new silver Camaro and driving off. Tonight wouldn't go fast enough.


	2. Chapter 2

**So it's a little funny that the story is set for Thanksgiving and Christmas just ended. How was it by the way? Hope everyone had a fun day. I'm thinking this goes for at least 3 chapters. Although, if I get enough reviews I would consider making the story much longer. I have some extra plot twists brewing in the back of my head…but that's only if you like it of course. Look at the footnotes when designated. I'm leaving links to different pics. Just in case my description doesn't cut it—or you'd like to see the real thing. Enjoy!**

Thanksgiving

There was a soft knocking on the door, and her body froze mid-step in between her kitchen and living room. _What if that was an employee of some past job? Should she bring a gun? Should she even alert them to the fact she was home? What if there was more than one person? What if they could see her?_

She crossed the room slowly, thankful that her flats made no sound over the old linoleum. Her breath came shallowly and in her ears it sounded much too loud. Her hands were growing sweaty and she jumped at every creak in the floor below her as she crossed the room. Another knock, this time more forcefully then at first. She froze again, and listened to make sure that nobody was coming up from behind her. But it was only herself and she settled down slightly before continuing slowly.

When she did reach the door, she slowly kneeled down to the floor, as if the person behind her door could see her every movement and any sudden motion would cause him…or her to unleash a lethal wave of metal on her. There was a small .38 buried in the leaves of the plant, and she slowly removed it, shutting off the safety and cocking it before hiding it behind the small of her back. Now armed, she took a deep breath and threw open the door.

"Ari."

She sighed, and brought the gun from out behind her back, unarming it and placing the safety back on.

"Jesus Eames…you should have told me it was you. I was sure I was about to be killed."

He looked sympathetic and slightly pained, but he smiled as he stepped into the room, removing his shoes respectfully even though the carpets were still the same dirty off-white as they had been when she had bought the place—never to fully look clean no matter what she actually did to it.

"I'm sorry love; I didn't think you were that paranoid. How long—"

"Ever since the Everett job when those two men came 'investig-" She stopped herself and looked down to the floor for a second. Eames gripped her shoulder tightly.

"You never…"

"Why bother you when I never could actually identify who they were or who they actually worked for?"

"Did they?"

"One slapped me. Gave me an awful bruise for two weeks."

"I didn't even—"

"Ah the wonders of makeup"

He looked visibly upset, and she automatically felt horrible. "Don't worry Eames…I…didn't want you to worry. " She paused and searched his face, now blank but with a hidden air of anger and pain to it. "What are you doing here anyway?"

He smiled widely at her. "We are officially on break love. Why not do something fun to celebrate?"

"I'm not having sex with you."

He roared and fell back against the sofa. "No no…not that- although now that you mention it—"

"Eames."

"I'm kidding love…I'm kidding."

She smiled. Eames always knew how to make her feel better. More lighthearted—even when she was sure there wasn't a single chance at the moment.

"So…are you excited for the party at Cobb's house?"

"Yes." He smiled and chuckled with her. "I'm excited. I think I'm ready to relax—take a break from everything." She smiled ruefully and stared at her hands.

"I can understand that. What are you looking forward to most?"

"The company I think. I'm ready to feel like…I'm around a family. Even if I'm just kidding myself for a few hours."

"Oh…Ari. You're family…to me." He gave her a rare—real smile. None of his sarcasm—which so usually perforated his very being—was evident and his eyes were shinning.

"Thanks…Eames. You're family to me too. The…sarcastic—sometimes annoying but always protective brother I never wanted."

He smiled brightly. "Love you too, love."

"Anyway…" she smiled, wiping a stray tear. "I'd really like to try some stuffing—I haven't had decent stuffing in a while. And then maybe some sweet potatoes with marshmallows…I'm actually thinking of bringing it with me. I don't want to show up empty handed…I'd feel stupid."

He smiled. "What else?" _Perfect...he would find out all he needed for the plan._

"I'd love to play with the kids. I used to play with my little cousins every Thanksgiving…and from what I've gathered from Cobb—James and Phillipa are around the same age. I wonder…do they love to draw?"

He chuckled. "Phillipa has the artistic eye of her father…but she's a better painter than anything else. And James…he loves to color. Wonderful pictures love. Wait till you see them."

"I can't wait."

With that he stood, and made his way back across the room and into the kitchen. "Where do you keep the wine?"

"Depends. The white is in the fridge. The red is in the pantry by the sink.

He rustled around. "Which do you prefer?"

"Now? White I think. I need to relax a little."

"Do you prefer it over red?"

"No…I like them both at different times. It all depends really on how I'm feeling. I find that the sweetness of white wine is nice when I need something sweet and satisfying. But…I also like the taste of red. Its smell is so…delicious. And it's so satisfying.

"So what kind do you like the best?"

"Me? Probably Sangiovese Umbra. It's the kind I grew up on. And it is has a nice taste."

"You don't like something a little more…extravagant?"

"I've never really had a chance to try anything else. Wine—no matter what kind—is expensive especially in the city. And since I still live on a student budget…I haven't had time to experience all the different—more extravagant kinds. "

"Fair enough love…fair enough."

She suddenly scrunches up her nose and seems to concentrate hard. "What is it love?"

"Eames…I just realized I never found out something so simple and yet so important."

"What is that love?"

"Eames…what…what is your first name?"

He involuntarily sucked in breath. He hadn't ever told anyone what his name was. Cobb didn't even know. Arthur only did because of his area of expertise…and birth certificates, while easy to hide from prying eyes, do not vanish entirely.

"You have to promise not to tell anyone. No one knows besides Arthur."

"I promise"

He looked at her warily and then took a deep breath. "Jonathan."

She smiled. "I like it."

"So did my mother." He was silent for a few seconds, and then snapped his fingers. "What's your middle name?"

"Marie. I never really liked it as much as my first name. I thought it was to…normal."

"Marie? It's lovely I think."

"Thanks Eames."

"Welcome love."

They settle down with the wine, and together stared out the window and toward the trees, which swayed softly in the cool breeze. A few leaves fluttered off lazily, circling once…twice…before landing on the concrete.

"What do your parents do?"

"My mother was a dance instructor. My father is a lawyer."

"Was? Does she stay at home now?"

A pained look overshadowed her face, and Ariadne dropped it. She set her wine glass down and rubbed her eyes.

"What is it?" Genuine concern laced his voice and he was a little taken aback at how powerful the sensation was.

"My…my mother d— "she sighed. "It was a drunk driver. He hit her coming home from work one afternoon. I never got to say goodbye."

"I…I'm sorry."

"No." she waved him off and took a big swallow, draining her glass. "You didn't know."

"Have…have you ever been in love?"

This blindsided him entirely, and it was his turn to clench his fists and sigh. He frowned. "I was…once. A lovely girl named Maggie. You would have liked her. She reminds me of you really. She was killed four years ago… collateral." He coughed into his hand and fought down a sob.

She stood this time and sat down heavily next to him. Wrapping her arms around him, she leaned into him and lay back. "We both need a drink."

"Please" was his remark. Draining his glass he held it out while she poured, before filling hers up a fourth of the way. Nursing it against her chest, she stared up toward the sky.

"Sometimes I wonder if she's up there watching me."

"You're mother? I suppose so. She's probably very proud of you Ari. I know I am."

"Thanks Eames" Her voice was slightly husky and her eyes were drooping. Leaning against him, she set down her drink and closed her eyes, sighing. "When the snow falls…"

"What?"

Ariadne was out.

He stayed there with her sleeping against his arm, draining his glass twice more before finally dozing against the side of the couch. When he woke, Ariadne has moved to the bedroom after writing a quick note of apology for ruining the fun. He smiled, and lies back down on the couch. He's not one to leave a friend when they're upset. He checks his phone and finds there are five messages: one from Cobb asking where he is—he was supposed to come over for dinner but that plans shot (it's eleven thirty and he's in no condition to drive. And anyway, he's broke—for now). One is from someone who he obviously doesn't know. But three are from Arthur, and each one is more anxious then the last. He sighs and contemplates calling before rolling over and falling back to sleep on the sofa.

He wakes up again around seven, with a small headache and a large hunger rumbling in the pits of his stomach. After fixing himself eggs and black coffee—the only thing proven to cure a hangover—he leaves (but only after making sure there was enough eggs and coffee ready for her and after scribbling a small note on a pad of scrap paper) because he does care, and that sudden thought makes him stop, and ponder for a few seconds. But in the end he closes the door behind him quietly and slinks away, a smile on his face.

He paces the floor, his hair slightly mussed and his tie loosened. Every sound of the warehouse makes him jump and turn expectantly toward the door. He hasn't heard from either Eames or Ariadne all night, which worries him because Ariadne usually calls to say that she's forgotten something trivial—her sweater, a scarf, her pad—around nine o'clock every night, but that didn't happen. In fact, she's made no contact with anyone for several hours. Cobb hasn't even heard from her. And Eames never showed up for dinner at Cobb's house last night. And all these facts just make his stomach flip and wonder if Cobol came for them in the night.

Cobb is going over to Ariadne's house now to see if she's still there, which only annoys him slightly because he feels that HE should be the one going over—it is after all himself who harbors feelings for the architect...not Cobb. He wonders if maybe Eames stayed the whole night with Ariadne…alone…in her house and the thought makes bile rise to his throat quickly and he has to swallow and breathe deeply several times for the feeling to lessen. But…he can't make it stop all the way. The thought of them together…naked….in bed makes him want to kill something. Or someone.

And that's when the door opens.

Eames comes sauntering into the warehouse looking like he's been hit by a car and has been lying in a ditch somewhere. His clothes are disheveled; the hair on the left side of his head is matted down close to his head. The breath catches in his throat momentarily as scenarios cross his mind in a blur. He's getting a little pissed off after all that might have happened Eames is just standing there stupidly, and he's clenching his fists.

"Are you ok? What happened? Was Ariadne with you? Is SHE ok?"

"God Arthur, you really know how to stop a hangover don't you?"

He froze. _A hangover. That's why he never called him back? Because he was getting DRUNK?_

"A hangover. You went and got smashed instead of going to see Ariadne? We haven't heard from her all day! What if she's been taken?"

"Relax Arthur, God. I was over Ariadne's house last night. We just had a little too much to drink, and I feel asleep." He stared at Arthur's clenching muscles and the paranoid, extremely pissed off face before continuing. "ON the couch. She went to bed. God Arthur, you really think I'd go off and fuck the girl you've been pining after ever since we started the Fischer job?"

He blushed slightly, and sat down in his chair. "I…don't know what you're talking about."

"Of course you do. Actually, it's more like you've been marking your territory. I mean, you're practically pissing on her sweaters just to make sure we don't do anything stupid."

"That's vulgar and untrue."

"Really Arthur?" You give Cobb dirty looks every time he walks up to her—behind his back of course, you do still think of him as your best mate but still. And don't get me started on Yusuf. Every time he comes over to talk about a sedative, you're there faster than Joan Rivers when she sees free botox. I mean, you're practically threatening him to step closer."

He blushed deeper, and clenched his fist. "I do not."

"You do. You need to just pull your act together and go talk to her. Maybe ask her out? It's not like you can't do it. I mean, I know it's hard for you since you're a stick-in-the-mud but even you must be somewhat knowledgeable in talking to a pretty girl"

"Shut up Eames…you're giving me a headache now. Did you get the information?"

"I'll pretend you didn't just ask that. Right, she's very fond of stuffing—her mother (_may she rest in peace_) had a very nice recipe in the cupboard I took the liberty of photocopying. She also loves sweet potato with marshmallows but she's brining that herself. Darling don't give me that, I did try to talk her out of it (_maybe not_)."

"Anything else?"

"She likes both white and red wine so that'll make it easier for you and she's very much looking forward to playing with our niece and nephew."

"Did she say which kind of wine she likes the most? Any label?"

"Sangiovese Umbra."

"So I should lean more toward red. " He nodded and stood up. "You're sure she's ok? I could always go over and see if she's ok. But with Cobb already headed over—"

"One step at a time Arthur. You have to pace yourself. Don't look desperate look cavalier."

He nodded. "I can't believe I'm taking your advice."

"Finally progress."

He rolled his eyes and grabbed his coat, straightening his hair and tie before walking toward the door. "I'm headed for wine. Stay out of my stuff Eames."

"Yes…yes darling of course. You go ahead."

Leaving the warehouse, he grimaced when a cold breeze blew into him, and he was glad when he got into the warmth of his car. The overcast day made everything look like it was dying, and there were less people out than what should have been. But he didn't dwell to long on that fact, for the roads were relatively clear and he could drive faster than usual—a fact he always enjoyed but seldom got to have.

The cobbled streets of old Paris always made him more than uncomfortable. It was fine for tourism—even when preserving history but god couldn't they put a single paved lane somewhere for him to drive over? He was getting anxious…he hated this part of the city. It was more crowded over here, and he chewed the inside of his cheek while waiting for pedestrians and the odd horse and buggy to get out of his way. But when he finally exited the city, he leaned farther back in his seat and tried to relax. He had an hour's drive to the old house. And along the way he might even be able to enjoy some of the views.

The winding roads leading south to Clement-Ferrand were always pleasant, and the views—although not as spectacular due to the season were still pleasant. Wild deer pranced in the valleys, stooping down to eat or drink once in a while. The grass was still a brilliant green, but the forests around them were now mostly barren of leaves and the few leaves that clung to the trees didn't radiate the beauty that was usually associated with the area.

Sighing, he turned to the passenger seat, empty now—but maybe one day. Maybe one day he could bring Ariadne with him down here. He was sure she would love to see the area around, and the old house was very appealing…and slightly beautiful—even he had to admit that. His mind wandered to an imagined time when he and Ariadne would drive up to the house, their kids in the back sleeping soundly. God they'd be beautiful. He shook his head. He hadn't even asked her out yet. Why was he jumping this far ahead of himself? _Because you want it. So bad._

The house was a mess when he entered. One chair was tipped over onto the floor. The mail had been knocked off the table and strewn onto the floor. And the couch was a mess. There was an almost empty wine glass on the coffee table—a sight that made him hold his breath and a plate of eggs and a cup of coffee—now cold—on the counter. Crossing the room, he made for the bedroom immediately, throwing the door open so quickly he himself jumped when he heard her scream. A bottle of perfume went flying toward him, and he ducked in time. It shattered uselessly behind him. Standing up, he turned to see a dressed Ariadne, clinging to the dresser in her room with both hands, and he smiled.

"Ariadne." He sounded relieved even to himself.

"Cobb, don't…do…that. Oh god…you scared the…shit." She sat down on the bed with a light thump.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean too. It's just. We hadn't heard from you all night and we got worried. When I came in the front room was messed up and I just thought….you might have been hurt."

She smiled. "No, thank God. I did hear that though. Eames must have done that when he left."

"Eames was here?"

She nodded, tucking a strand behind her head. "He came to hang out, but we had a few too many glasses and I fell asleep. When I woke up, he was out on the couch so I put a blanket on him, wrote him a note, and then went to bed. I guess when he woke up, he accidently knocked over something."

"That explains the coffee and eggs."

She nodded. "I'm heating those up in a few minutes. I just woke up myself. I'm sorry I scared you Cobb." She side-hugged him, then stood up. "Would you like anything? I don't know what I have, but I can make you something…"

"Coffee if you have it, but don't bother if you don't."

"I'm sure I can fix that up. Common"

Making her way over to the kitchen, she set the kettle on, and then placed her eggs in the microwave. "So, I was wondering…what time do you want me at the party? I'm staying to help clean no matter what. But…do you need help setting up?"

Cobb smiled. "No Ariadne. You're my guest. You don't have to do anything. Come around…six thirty. Dinner doesn't start for another hour though."

"Whenever you want dinner to start is fine by me. But Cobb thanks a lot. For inviting me."

He smiled. "No problem."

They lapsed into comfortable silence.

The overcast sky had broken now, replaced by clear blue and shining sun for as far as he could see out the windshield. With his window down, Arthur sighed into the cool breeze, and a laugh escaped his parted lips as he sped faster toward his Chateau. He could almost see it now through the deadened branches and thick trunks, resting at the top of the hill just northeast of his current position. In fact, he could see the edges of the vineyard and the old walls surrounding the gardens.

It took only a few more minutes to reach the wrought iron gates, but during that time, he wracked his brain, going over lists of the drinks he had in the old wine cellar. He knew his father was known for his white…but he was renowned for his red. But…he would have to narrow it down now. There were racks upon racks down there, and it would take days just to get through them. And the dust always bothered his sinuses. And then he had it. A 1994 Chateau Margaux, Premier Grand Cru Classé.

It was famous, and people from all over the world were dying to get their hands on it. And his father had seven bottles. It was perfect; something that would not only broaden Ariadne's taste in wine but also, hopefully, show her how much he felt for her. It wasn't every day you got your hands on a wine like this. The gatekeeper opened the gates as quickly as he could, and Arthur hardly heard their loud protests in his excitement. He smiled a thanks to the man, and then drove forward never stopping untill he reached the cellar. When he parked, he threw the door open faster than he normally would have liked and did nothing but laugh at the man that came hobbling over—a security guard—to see some identification (although, when he saw who it was he stopped in his tracks, bowed slightly and turned around).

The cellar was dank, and he could hear a faint drip form somewhere along the southern wall. He'd have to get someone to find—and fix that leak. It would spoil the wine. It had to stay dry down here. He went directly over to the cabinet which held the special wine, unlocking the four locks and sliding open the heavy doors with no more than a grunt. Searching the shelf carefully, his eyes quickly found the bottle and he smiled. Perfect.

After reassuring Ariadne that he thought of her as family and that she had no need to even feel like she had an obligation to help clear the dishes or bring anything, he pulled her into a quick hug, placed a chaste kiss on her cheek and then turned to the door, making her promise to call him later so that they could talk further. He only broke into a smile when he was sitting in his car in peace. Ariadne was safe. She was excited to come to the party, and most importantly, she had no idea on what they were planning. He had almost let it slip that the others were coming, but he had recovered quickly and driven his slip far from her mind.

Starting the engine, he could see her from her bedroom window looking down on him, and he waved out the window as he peeled out, zooming off down the street with the radio blaring. That was, untill he remembered he might want to check up on Arthur. It was reasonable enough, if he was worrying about Ariadne, that any information on her well being would be good news. Plus, he could always find out what his choice was for the wine. It would help him plan dinner. He pressed a button on his steering wheel, and the music was cut off in the middle of a particularly vulgar lyric—honestly who listened to the shit?—and commanded it to "Call Arthur."

**Well, that went well right? Haha. Well, I guess the first thing I should say is Happy New Year! 2011 here we are! Secondly, sorry this took so long, school is getting to me and I'm preoccupied with hearing back from colleges so bear with me, I should be getting back into a regular swing soon. I don't know, but when I was reading through this just to catch any mistakes I found that it sounded like Eames had a little crush on Ariadne…but I don't know if I like that. What do you guys think? Next chapter SHOULD be the party itself…and from there we shall see what happens. Tell me if you'd like me to go past that, or just end it because I have no idea. Thanks again for reading. Happy New Year again…I hope everyone had a nice, safe time. Review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey guys! So…this has been a long time coming, and this chapter is actually the very first thing that I imagined when I sat down to start writing this. :) So I hope you guys like it as much as I do. Type this into the URL to see Ariadne's dress—I think it's gorgeous: .com/2008/09/22/dress-of-the-day-the-suzie-dress/ ENJOY! And review please!**

Thanksgiving

Standing in front of her bureau mirror, she examined herself for the third time that night, spinning slowly to see herself from every angle. The black taffeta party dress was beautiful on her—if she did say so herself and she truly felt pretty for the first time in a while. And the silky black sash and bow around her waist made her look even curvier than she was used to. Maybe Arthur would notice her _next_ time she wore this to a job-well-done celebration.

Sighing happily, she ran her fingers down her softly curled hair and checked herself once more before slipping into black flats and heading out of the room. In the kitchen, she looked around once more to see if she forgot anything, and then picking up the matching clutch and the sweet potatoes, she exited the apartment, flicking off the lights and locking the door. Being off-balanced was harder than she had originally anticipated, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she re-stabilized herself before making her way down the old and barren hallway to the stairs, her eyes downcast and turned from the flimsy, warped doors and peeling, faded wallpaper. _Really, moving sounded like a good option. Then she wouldn't feel so embarrassed when the Team convened at her house._

She tried to keep her dress from grazing the dirty wall and the rickety railing—she didn't want anything to get on it; it was brand new and her new pride and joy—but every once in a while it did and she gritted her teeth untill she reached the lobby. The security guard stood up and helped her outside, down the cracked and uneven cement stairs and into the waiting taxi -which had been idling for less than a minute - before smiling at her and shutting the door, and when the driver had been given the address, she sank down into her seat, alone with her thoughts.

The ride was nerve racking. A million thoughts were flying through her head and each one was more negative than the last. What if she offended them? What if the kids didn't like her? What if they were only doing this out of pity? God she hoped not. She closed her eyes for a second, keeping her head away from the seat and shifted the weight of the bowl on her lap. Mentally slapping herself, she pushed her thoughts away and breathing deeply twice was filled with a new air of confidence. She would be fine. _Just enjoy yourself. If they didn't want you there, then Cobb wouldn't have asked._ She was abruptly pulled from her thoughts when the taxi pulled up to the curb and stopped suddenly, and Ariadne blinked a few times, staring dumbly at the two story house in front of her. She paid the driver, and then carefully got out, smoothing out her dress before starting up the walk.

The house was quaint. There was a chimney on the left side wall of the house, the brick solid and straight like a tower. Smoke was rising languidly in thin waves from the top, and the air around her smelled great. She breathed deeply. Large, shining windows illuminated the large yard in front, and from a second floor window she could see the outline of someone looking out toward the street. There were a few geraniums growing out front up against the siding, and although they were dying now, they still were pretty, and, after squinting her eyes, she swore she could see a weeping willow and a cherry tree out in the back yard, their branches gnarled and creaking in the breeze. Stepping over an overturned bike, she finally reached the stairs to the door—a solid, sturdier structure than she had originally guessed if she could take the word of her smarting knuckles. She hoped someone could hear her—there was a lot of noise coming from inside. But no sooner had she thought that when she heard the little patter of running feet and then the door had been thrown open with a "_But I wanted to do it!_"

Phillipa stared at her in all her ten years of glory, her hair straightened nicely with a pretty red hair band in place to keep the bangs away from her eyes; a hair band that perfectly matched the little red dress and shoes. James' hair, she could tell, had been more of a challenge—one that Cobb had clearly fought and lost. It was falling in front of his eyes, and he pushed it back every few seconds while he stared. His black shoes shined in the bright lights, and his blue dress shirt and khaki pants were adorable. A look of uneasiness fell upon their faces after examining her for a few seconds, and then turning, James ran back the way he had most likely came, while Phillipa watched her like a hawk. There was a low curse from the other room, and light murmuring coming from down the hall. The noise had stopped—and she was a little uneasy.

To say she was surprised when Cobb came down the hallway with a gun cocked in his hands was an understatement. To say he looked surprised that it was only her and not some terrorist on the other side of the threshold would be equally so. But his tense demeanor changed quickly to delight after registering who she actually was, and she almost dropped the potatoes when he hugged her.

"Daddy who is this?"

"Yeah dad, who's her?"

"This is Ariadne. She works with Uncle Arthur, Uncle Eames, and me. Can you say hi?"

"Hi. I'm Phillipa and I'm ten years old…so I'm not a baby even though dad sometimes thinks I am."

"My…my name is James and I'm five and I like worms." He gave her a grin, and she noticed the two missing teeth.

"Hi…I'm Ariadne and I'm an immature artist with too much imagination." She smiled and turned back to her father.

"Hi Cobb. The house looks great." She smiled, and her eyes darted to the gun clutched loosely in his hands.

"Oh." He blushed. "Hi Ariadne. James just said someone strange was at the door and after everything—" He sighed. "I just assumed it was someone else. Come in it's cold out."

"Thanks." She smiled, and entered the house, sighing in the warmth before shedding her jacket and laying it on a hook on a wall near the door.

Cobb whistled, and James tried to as well, although it turned into more of a raspberry. He grinned at his father and checked to make sure his hands were in the same position. "You look lovely. Come in to the kitchen, we're all hanging around there for the smell."

She laughed and followed him down the short hallway, her shoes barely making a noise on the wood beneath her feet.

The kitchen was beautiful. Gleaming dark cherry wood shone under the lamps above the large island in the middle of the room. Black granite sparkled like onyx above large cabinets and shelves. The appliances were all stainless steel, shining brightly and she could see the reflection of Phillipa's dress from the stove's door. Black chairs rested around the island, and she guessed that that was the most appetizing spot in the kitchen, where one could sit far enough away from the heat of the stove and close enough to be enraptured with the smells permeating the room.

Miles was sitting in one of them, peeling carrots slowly while chatting with…_YUSUF?_ She was confused. _He had said he wasn't coming. _And yet there he was, chatting amiably with Miles while whipping mashed potatoes.

"Yusuf?" She glanced over at Miles, smiling brightly at her from his chair and she felt her confusion melt into contentment. "Professor Miles."

"Ariadne. My don't you clean up well." Yusuf was leaning against the counter, food forgotten.

"I had every confidence." Miles said, turning to give her another smile.

"What…what are you doing here? You said you weren't coming?"

"And miss the chance to witness pure American culture?"

She gave him a look that all but screamed bull shit.

"The fact that bubbling chemicals and dangerous mixtures make bad company had nothing to do with my presence."

"Really?"

He nodded. "And while I was here I volunteered to help cook. You know, cooking is very much like chemistry. You have to add the right ingredients at the right time to make the desired affect just like you have to use the right chemicals in the right proportions to make the right sedative. Mhm." He nodded vigorously and turned back to the stove. Out of her peripheral vision she saw Cobb roll his eyes.

"Oh…" she nodded, her eyes furrowed. Then she remembered the sweet potatoes. "I brought sweet potatoes. They're my mother's recipe." Cobb and Miles gave her a look, but Yusuf looked like he could kiss her.

"You shouldn't have Ariadne. You're our guest."

"I had to bring something, I didn't want to show up empty handed, that wouldn't be polite. And plus I—" She felt a tug on her dress and stared down into James' face. He had a thumb in his mouth.

"Aridnee, can you play with me?"

She looked down, her mind blank for a few seconds before nodding, a smile spreading over her face before she looked up and set the bowl on the counter. "I'll…just be with him."

Cobb smiled and nodded, even as Miles made a face and she turned and followed—more like dragged, James really had a grip on three fingers—down the stairs _thank god she didn't wear heels_ and into the play area. It was a mess. Toys were strewn all over the white carpet. Pictures hung at odd angles at the wall, and the cushions of the two couches had all but fallen off due to what she could assume as vicious jumping attacks.

"I wanna show you my worms."

The thought was very unappealing but she had heard from Cobb himself that it was his passion, and she wasn't about to crush it so trying to mask her disgust she made her way over to a table, where a glass box filled with dirt lay. She could see a worm or two inside, moving slowly around the jar searching for a way out. "I caughted 'em myself in the yard! Aren't they so cool!"

She nodded, clearly not sharing the same sentiment and turned when she felt another tug. "Would you draw with me? I really want to and since you're an artist like daddy I thought you would too."

She laughed, pulling James away from the jar with her as she made a way over to the table. She ended up not being able to sit in the plastic yellow chair, and ended up sitting down with her feet tucked underneath her and her dress neatly around her.

"I'm gunna draw the biggest worm EVER! Isn't that cool Aridnee?"

"It's Ariadne dumbo…and ew worms are icky. I'm going to draw the beach. Do you like the beach Ariadne?"

They both turned to her. "Yes. I love it. It's one of my favorite places." And with that, they started to draw, laughing at times and sharing jokes along the way.

Arthur/Ariadne

The car pulled to a stop, and Arthur killed the engine, breathing deeply to settle his nerves. His stomach had been doing flips ever since this morning when he had found her the perfect present, but it seemed ten times worse now that the moment had finally arrived; he would either impress Ariadne and pluck up the courage to ask her on a date, or fail miserably and crash and burn. Turning to the left, he saw Eames playing with his hair in front of the mirror; smiling flirtatiously and tilting his head either way.

"Is your moment done? Or should I leave you and the mirror alone?"

"Cute Arthur, but you can never look too good."

"I don't think the mirror is interested."

"No?" He turned to stare at him, a smirk across his face and his eyes shining. Eames' cologne was still clogging his nose. "Well then, I guess I'll just have to settle for Ariadne, won't I?"

He clenched his jaw, and his grip tightened around the bottles steering wheel.

"I kid Arthur darling. We ALL know she's not available."

He scoffed, getting out of the car and slamming the door, before starting up the walk toward the house. He heard Eames chuckle and the sound of his other door closing but shook his head and maneuvered around a tricycle that had been left overturned in the middle of the path. _Smug asshole. _Jogging up the stairs, he paused to fix his hair before knocking quickly, stepping back slightly and smiling brightly—he hoped Ariadne would be the one to answer—but he checked himself as the door opened and he saw Cobb standing there in his parental glory.

"Cobb."

"Arthur. You're just in time...as always. I see you brought the wine."

"Is she here?" He can't help but ask and he wonders what has gotten into him yet again.

"Yeah, she's downstairs with the kids. Where's—"

"Cobb darling! How are you?"

"Eames." He smiles brightly, clutching Eames' hand firmly for a minute before letting them inside.

"Wait till you see her Arthur, she's a knockout tonight."

He nods, slightly more nervous now. "I've brought the wine. This bottle is more special so I'd advise we not break it open yet."

"Sure. Everyone else is in the kitchen, in case you wondered. Yusuf is so thrilled about cooking."

Eames snorted, and took off, leaving the two alone.

"So…should we give you two some space before dinner? I could always call the kids up to help entertain us if you…"

"No. I think I'll make my move after dinner. She didn't take her car did she?"

"No. I think she took a taxi." He smiled as he watched the cogs in Arthur's head turn. "Don't be too nervous Arthur. I've seen the glances she's taken to giving you. They're furtive, but they're there. All you have to do is ask her, she's been willing for a while."

He nodded, and smiled a little when Cobb clamped a hand on his shoulder, squeezing lightly. "It'll be fine."

"It's weird. I've asked girls out before but I've never been this nervous before in my life. "

Cobb's smile brightened. "It's called love. Trust me, I know the feeling."

"Common, before they send Miles to see what's wrong…and you don't want Miles to give you advice on Ariadne because it'll be like talking to her father."

He nodded, and took a deep breath, before flashing a smile and moving down the hall to the kitchen. Miles and Eames were talking now, and Yusuf was working on a salad, chopping carefully with a vehement look on his face.

"Oh, mind if I help?"

"Oh my GOD! Thank you!" Yusuf went over to check on the turkey roasting in the oven and Eames' smile brightened.

"What? This is too hard for you Yusuf?"

"Shut up before I accidently give you a dose twice as high as recommended."

"Miles." He nodded, his eyes fixed on the door to the basement.

"Arthur. You look as well as always. How are you?"

"Fine…fine. I'm just—"

He heard a hmph from Miles and a "Why does everyone run away before I get a chance to talk to them?" But he never heard the answer. He was too busy staring at the most beautiful thing—ever.

She was sitting on the floor, her legs tucked underneath her and her dress pooled around her. Her hair was…so beautiful. The way it curled slightly and shone in the lights. She looked delicate and beautiful and perfect. But she was also Ariadne and she was still strong and had this slight air of I-can-do-it-myself. He didn't know how long he had stood there—it felt like only a brief second—when Phillipa and James looked up at the same time. Their faces brightened, and they both screamed simultaneously "UNCLE ARTHUR!"

He had never seen Ariadne whip her head so fast, and he was afraid she would get whiplash. Shock and confusion were written across her face, and she stood up carefully, preoccupied with not hurting her dress. Little arms wrapped around both his legs and he bent slightly to rest his palms on their backs, his eyes still glued to her.

Cobb was right, she did look stunning. The dress was very flattering, hugging her waist and making her curvier than he was used to. Hell, this would make tonight harder. He had to make sure to keep his mouth closed.

"Arthur?"

"Ariadne. Wow. You look—amazing." He smiled, hoping it made him look dapper.

She blushed. "Thanks. You look great too." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and he almost fell over. "When did you?-I mean I thought you weren't coming?"

He smiled. "Change of plans. I didn't really want to go. Plus, I had to make sure Eames didn't drink too much wine."

She nodded, a little disappointed his reason hadn't been her. But she masked it and smiled. "Well, I'm glad you're here. It wouldn't be the same without you. Common upstairs, no use hanging out in a playroom if the kids aren't here."

He nodded, following her up the stairs, diverting his eyes from her ass as they migrated too it. _Shit…this was going to be hard._

"Eames!" He looked up in time to catch her throw her arms around Eames and he clenched his fists, his face turning slightly red. Eames winked at him, and he almost threw himself across the room.

"Ariadne darling, you look stunning. You should wear dresses more often."

"Nice try Eames."

She grinned at him, before stepping back and sitting down next to Miles. There was one empty seat left…next to her and he lunged for it before the forger even knew what hit him.

"Wait…alright. What is happening?"

The team looked at her, feigning ignorance, but he could tell they were going to lose. "You all told me you were going different places. And now you're here? Something's up and I'm getting to the bottom of it now. Eames?"

He grinned. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"_Cobb_?"

He just shook his head. She glanced at him before squinting her eyes and turning to Yusuf, who was taking out the potatoes with shaking hands.

"Yusuf."

He jumped and turned. "Y…yes?"

"Do YOU know what this is about?"

"I…uh…no not at all."

"Common Yusuf…you can tell me? Can't you?"

"Well I…"

"I… thought we were friends?"

"Well…we are its just…"

"Friends tell each other everything." She stood and walked slowly toward him, like a predator about to attack innocent prey.

"I…I mean...we are friends…but..I don't know what's…"

She leaned on the counter, staring at him with puppy eyes. "You'll tell the truth, won't you? For _me_?"

"Cobb told us that you were lonely so we planned to surprise you here so that you would know that you weren't alone and had a new family." He gaped.

"YUSUF!" Cobb was glaring. Eames was roaring and Miles looked proud. James was staring between Yusuf and his father, before emulating the same face. Phillipa looked like she was taking notes, and he…was dumbstruck. He never knew she could do that!

"I'm sorry Cobb she just….and then I…" He groaned and started on the gravy.

"I'll need to learn that darling. You're a pro. Sure you're not a natural forger as well?"

She smiled

"Dinner!" Yusuf looked excited and relieved that it was over, that he could now relax and be done with the cooking and he almost laughed at him. Almost.

Turning, he pulled Ariadne toward the dining room, Eames just ahead of him. And there he saw that…he was sitting right next to her. He was doomed.

Ariadne/Arthur

The table had been set beautifully. The white linen cloth was one he was much familiar with from past holiday meals with Cobb and Mal. Sliver candles rested in the middle, with a peaceful fall centerpiece resting between them. The food had been spread on their best china and laid before them steaming slowly. Eames looked like he was about to devour everything in front of him—a face, sadly, that both Cobb and James seemed to share. Phillipa was sitting just like Ariadne, taking small glances once in a while to check to make sure she was doing it right. Miles sat in front of him, his eyes sharp and clear resting on him, calculating each of his nervous shifts. Luckily, Ariadne was perfectly clueless to his discomfort. He didn't think he would be able to explain why he was so uncomfortable around her if she asked.

They were silent for a moment, while they stared at each other, nobody really wanting to make the first move.

"God, if nobody eats the food that I made them I'm going to murder you all."

Eames snorted and James looked fearful. Cobb looked a little annoyed and rolled his eyes as Phillipa gauged Ariadne's reaction before giggling herself. "Bloody hell, alright. Don't be such a woman. Pass the turkey."

Arthur snorted into his wine glass, before picking up the mashed potatoes and scooping two spoons full onto his plate. It wasn't long before they were all ready to eat, and they stared at each other again.

"Ari, these sweet potatoes are great."

"Wonderfully done."

Cobb nodded with Phillipa and James and Miles smiled graciously. "Thank you. It took a while to get right."

"Did I ever tell you the time Arthur fell into a river?"

Ariadne beamed and shook her head, spooning a helping of food into her mouth and smiling. He groaned.

"What's wrong Arthur? Eaten too much already? Or would you like to tell it?"

He glared and shook his head. Cobb and Yusuf snorted and Ariadne laughed again, sipping wine.

"You see, he and I were trying to acquaint ourselves before our first job, and so we had decided to take a stroll. It was an absolutely dreadful day…pouring rain and dark clouds. But it was humid and everyone was feeling sticky."

"Excuse me, Mr. Eames but I remember it being cold and sunny out."

"No, no darling. You were just too preoccupied."

"By what?" Ariadne asked, tilting her head and glancing at Arthur before fixing her gaze back to Eames. Arthur thought she looked even more beautiful in the candle light.

"You see, while we were crossing, we spied on the far side of the bridge a wonderfully vivacious woman. Perfect body, long blonde hair. Stunning." Cobb coughed and his eyes diverted to his children. He nodded and toned it down.

Arthur was blushing slightly, but Ariadne couldn't tell if that was just the wine or if he was actually embarrassed.

"And I dared him that he couldn't get her to give him a kiss by the time she crossed the bridge."

"By the end of the bridge?"

"It was a long bridge darling, I could have done it."

Arthur scoffed.

"So, Arthur here decides that he's going to go right up and ask her. So he does."

"What happened?" Yusuf was leaning forward now, his left elbow practically in the boiling gravy.

"She slapped him across the face with her purse."

"And?"

"Please don't."

"He got stunned, backed up too far, and fell right over the edge of the bridge."

Ariadne's smile grew wide, and he could tell she was trying hard not to laugh. But then Yusuf choked on his wine and she burst forth in a fit of giggles, holding her sides and leaning back in her chair. Cobb was shaking his head with a hearty chuckle, one matched by Miles and the kids were bouncing in their seats.

"That's not as bad as the time Eames got so drunk he threw up on one of the marks bridesmaids."

Ariadne almost fell out of her chair.

"That bartender had no idea what he was doing—lucky for me too or else I would have had quite a boring with you Arthur."

Arthur glared and Ariadne laughed harder.

"What about you Cobb. Have any embarrassing stories for us?"

"uh…well. There was the time I turned Mal's hair blue."

Ariadne giggled and Arthur watched her for a second before turning back to Cobb. "I'd never seen Mal want to kill you more."

He blushed and looked down as Miles gripped his shoulder and he broke into another, softer laugh.

"I once blew a hole in the wall of my science room."

He snorted and Ariadne leaned against him, laughing harder before sipping more on her drink.

"Well, we weren't supposed to mix the ammonium nitrate with the potassium chlorate and I did and there was this huge billowing gas. My science teacher ran to yell at me, and the thing blew up right in front of us. Blew a hole right through the wall. Made a new entrance."

Eames chuckled and stuffed some more food in his mouth.

"But the worst part was that I set the teacher's pants on fire simultaneously and blew my eyebrows off."

Ariadne choked on her drink and Eames looked like he was trying to force his food down.

"What about you Ari?"

"Me?" she thought for a few seconds. "I did a lot. There was the time my friend and I took a joyride in the principles car and we crashed it into the flagpole."

He laughed harder than he needed to. "Or the time I walked in on the nurse making out with our creepy shop teacher and the kid behind me threw up his lunch."

Eames was on the floor with James and Phillipa was shaking her head, sipping her coke and pretending it was a fancy wine like Ariadne.

"God you too will be the death of me." Cobb shook his head, staring down at Eames as he tickled James.

"If he throws up, you're cleaning it." He stood up with his dish, grabbing Miles as he went. Ariadne laughed harder, her hand covering her mouth. Arthur saw the glint of her nails in the light. He'd never seen them so clean.

"Right, thanks for dinner Yusuf." He picked up his plate and left the table, carrying James under his arm.

"Boys." Phillipa muttered, hopping down from the table herself. Miles followed her out, carrying his plate as well with a hearty chuckle. They were alone.

"Shall we?"

She smiled. "Sure." She went to pick up her plate, but Arthur had beaten her to it, waiting as she stood before crossing toward the door. Ariadne raced behind him, kissing his cheek before heading into the kitchen where a more than tipsy Eames was getting ready to sing.

Arthur stood there for a few seconds, frozen mid-step with a goofy look on his face. _She had KISSED him!_ Cobb came out into the hallway, pausing when he saw him before walking over to him. "You alright?"

"She kissed me."

Cobb beamed. "Told you." He rubbed his shoulder before turning. "Common. You don't want to miss a drunk Eames singing to us do you? I'm just glad Ariadne brought her camera. Documented proof."

Arthur beamed again. Tonight was turning out to be great.

**So I've decided to break this into two parts because this is getting way too long. But it's turning out fairly well so I'm pretty happy with it. Sorry that it took so long, Eames and Arthur weren't talking to me and Ariadne was huffing over not wearing a scarf. I hope you liked this. :) Part two shouldn't take as long to get up. Reviews make me want to write faster, and they make me cheesy smile so keep sending them! I enjoy every one. :) Thanks for all the favorites and alerts as well! Review please!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I don't own anything, which is so sad.**

Thanksgiving Ch. 4

The loud music and high pitched giggles coming from the living room finally broke him from his reverie. His mind still reeling over the fact that Ariadne had kissed him, he made his way out to the kitchen where he dropped off his dish before making his way back through to the living room. He stopped once in the hallway to make sure his hair was perfect. He noticed that his stupid grin hadn't left yet and he didn't think he'd mind much if Eames picked up on it. However, as he entered the living room he realized that Eames was entirely too smashed to even notice the camera in Ariadne's hand.

"_I love you baby and if it's quite alright—"he_ was spinning around the room, dragging a giggling Phillipa to his legs as he swayed. Cobb was taking pictures, and he could see Miles trying to hold in his laughter. Ariadne and Yusuf looked like they were about to cry, and James was bouncing up and down on the couch.

"_I need you baby, to warm the lonely night."_ He grabbed Ariadne and spun her around, dragging her against his chest before spinning her into Arthur's arms. She giggled and he smiled again—the same cheesy one, he discovered—as they both looked to each other. There was a flash and he looked up into Cobb's grinning face, the camera clutched in his hands.

"_Baby, trust in me when I say…oh pretty baby don't bring me down I pray oh pretty baby, now that I've found you stay!"_

He spun around, and they watched as he fell to the right, letting out a low huff as he slammed into the couch and James and Phillipa giggled again. Arthur pulled her closer to his chest, noticing for the first time that they were holding hands—how long had that gone on?

"_And let me love you, baby….let me love you!"_ Eames broke off with a huge grin, his teeth gleaming. "Look at them darlings" he pointed toward them both, slurring his words "those two will be going at it like bunnies, you mark my words." He pointed to both the kids then shot a cheeky grin at Arthur and Ariadne. Cobb had frozen mid laugh, his eyes shifting from Eames to his kids—who had both adopted quizzical expressions.

"Daddy, what does 'going at it like bunnies' mean?"

"Yeah dad, what's that?"

"Uhh…"

"Yes, Cobb. What does that mean?" Arthur chuckled as Cobb directed a glare towards him.

Cobb's head swiveled between them and back at the kids. Shooting a glare at Eames, he clapped his hands together. "Alright, let's take a family picture. Everyone get in." Cobb grabbed Arthur and Ariadne, and herded them towards the fireplace. The kids jumped off the couch at once, running toward them quickly. James jumped into Eames' arms, and they held their breaths as Eames staggered backward but when both Eames and James started giggling, and Eames straightened up, the rest of them let out a collective sigh. Phillipa giggled, and then stifled a yawn before standing with her back pressed against Ariadne's legs. Miles took up a spot next to Ariadne, his shoulder just behind her own and Yusuf took up the stop just in front of Eames.

Cobb smiled, and set the camera on a shelf, placing the timer on for twenty seconds before making his way over to stand just behind Eames and Ariadne.

In the twenty seconds before the shot went off, Arthur noticed several things. The first was that Cobb had never had a more real smile in all the time he had known him after Mal's death. The second was that Eames was genuinely at ease. Usually his walls were guarded—even though he joked with them constantly. But now those walls were down and he could see every emotion running through his mind. And that made him feel slightly—good. The final, and possibly the most important thing in his entire life was that Ariadne, the girl of his dreams—literally— was next to him. And he couldn't imagine, no matter how hard he tried, her not being there —and he had tried for a while. And the way she felt, pressed into his side with his hand around her waist made him want to fly. It was positively the best feeling he'd ever had, and he knew he'd never want this any other way.

"Ready?" Cobb said loudly, breaking him from his thoughts.

"1" Cobb shouted.

"2" Ariadne said.

"3!" Eames yelled.

"Cheese!" The kids screamed. There was a flash, and then James was cheering and Phillipa was slinking off to the couch with a yawn.

"I think someone is tired." Miles observed, leaning against the fireplace.

"One more?" Arthur offered, with a grin. He knew what he'd do.

"Come on Phillipa! One more!" James cheered with Eames, who was chanting something that nobody could really understand. She nodded, smiling slightly before yawning.

"Then bed." Cobb put in, setting up the picture again from across the room.

"Otay dad." James nodded seriously.

"Okay! Ready?"

"Yeah!" They cheered.

"Ok! Ten seconds!" He saw Ariadne fix her hair from the corner of his eyes. Saw everyone else's smiles. And then he knew his plan would be realized.

"Ari" he whispered in her ear. And when she turned with a quizzical look, he kissed her. Just as the flash went off.

There was a loud cheering in the background. But he didn't care. Not really. When he pulled away, she wasn't wearing the expression he thought she would be. Instead of being angry, or confused, she looked happy. And he wasn't expecting her to pull him back by his tie into another, more passionate kiss—not that he minded much. But they were quickly being broken apart by James and Phillipa, both of whom had disgusted expressions on their faces.

Phillipa dragged Ariadne to a love seat, pushing her down before standing in front of her. "Ariadne. Really, how could you kiss Uncle Arthur? I mean…" she glanced around, lowering her voice and collecting a stern look as she said "he's a _boy_." (As if this realization would snap her out of her trance and make her see the good reason).

"Ew…cooties." James chimed in, staring up at him.

"Does this mean Uncle Arthur is going to be getting married?"

The room stopped for a second, before Yusuf and Eames fell down together onto the couch in near tears. "God I hope not. Imagine, little Arthurs running around. What would the world come too?"

Arthur smiled, leaning down and putting his arms around his niece and nephew. "No. Ariadne and I just kissed. It's what…it's what two people do when they really care about each other."

"Oh. So then does that mean I should kiss Jake? 'Cause Jake said he really liked me and he even gave me a dandelion at recess last week." The cogs in Phillipa's mind were whirring even as Cobb blanched. He wasn't ready to deal with his daughter having relationships with boys. He himself was reeling from just spending time with them every single day. How was he supposed to explain this to a ten year old girl?

"Bed!" Cobb called, even as Yusuf and Eames broke out into fiercer bursts of laughter. Ariadne just smiled and grabbed Phillipa by both arms.

"Now, you listen to me ok? I'll tell you a secret. Don't let him kiss you untill he's bought you a really nice present, taken you out to dinner, and saved your life."

"Oh." She said, nodding in agreement. "I can do that."

"Good. I knew you could."

"Goodnight Ariadne."

"Goodnight Phillipa."

"Will I ever see you again?"

"Yes. I'll come back whenever you need me."

"Promise?" He watched as Ariadne searched the face of the little girl in front of her, taking in all of the hope and all of the need swimming in the little girls' eyes.

Pulling her into a hug, she whispered "I promise. I'll come running. All you have to do is call."

"Thanks." She whispered back, pulling away. "Goodnight Uncle Arthur. Don't kiss Ariadne again unless you buy her dinner and save her life."

"Wait, wait…what was the other thing?" Ariadne was struggling now, a small smile threatening to form.

"And a really nice present."

"There you go."

"Promise Uncle Arthur?"

He nodded seriously. "I promise. BUT I'll let you in on a little secret." He beckoned her closer. "I've already done all three."

She smiled widely, and nodded, before hugging them both and skipping out of the room to Miles' awaiting hand. James came scooting up then, with a thumb in his mouth.

"Night Ariadne. Can you come play with me again?"

"Sure James. I'd like that."

"We can even go and look for more bugs!" He shouted, jumping up and down with his hands in the air—possibly a fist pump but the world would never truly know.

She blanched but masked it with a smile. "Sure James. I'd love too."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome James."

"Night Uncle Arthur. I'll see you later otay?" He yawned, and only wrapped his tiny hands around Arthur's neck after he had scooped him up into a hug.

"I'll see you James. Sleep tight."

He yawned. "Otay." He waved a hand to Ariadne, and saluted Eames before running into the hallway where Miles' was chatting with Phillipa. With a smile, he watched them go up the stairs.

Ariadne

She watched him for a few minutes as they sat there in the living room. Miles was in the kitchen, leaning heavily on the table drinking a glass of bourbon—his nightly ritual and one that many students had come to recognize as his ism. Cobb was upstairs with his children in his rightful place, and she smiled when she thought that she had had some part in righting his family. Eames had passed out only a few minutes ago after she had fixed up the pull out bed, mumbling something incoherently while he kissed her on the corner of her mouth and 'accidently' grazed her ass—a fact that had pleasantly pissed Arthur off. And Yusuf…she wondered if he wasn't with Miles. But wherever he was, they were alone.

He was sitting comfortably on a chair by the fireplace, which had been moved out of the way for the photos only twenty minutes before. She could see his mind working overtime, the wheels in his mind turning quickly and she wondered if steam would start to pour out of his ears. His beautiful eyes were boring into her, scrutinizing every little detail of her features.

Glancing at the clock, she watched the hands move to 11, and standing, she stretched, not missing the way his eyes roamed her body when he thought she wasn't looking.

"Checking me out?" He blushed, and she laughed, yawning slightly. "It getting late, I think I'm going to go."

"Sure. I'll…I mean…can I take you home?"

She smiled, her cheeks heating up pleasantly. "Sure. I'd like that."

He smiled, and a little breath escaped his lips. _Had he been holding it in? And if so, did that mean he was nervous?_

Standing up, she watched his sinewy muscles stretch beneath his clothes, and her mouth ran slightly dry, but smiling, she made her way to the kitchen, where Miles was indeed nursing bourbon. Yusuf had passed out on the table. "Professor."

He turned, and stared at her for a second, before smiling. She could tell he was now pleasantly buzzed, and her smiled grew wider."Ariadne, my dear. Are you leaving so soon?"

"Yes professor. It's getting late, and I have some things to do with Cobb and the kids tomorrow. Will I see you there?"

"I should think so. Who is taking you home?"

Arthur stepped behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder, and she unconsciously found herself leaning backward into him. "I am."

"Ah…yes." He frowned a little. "May I talk to Arthur for a moment." At her frown, he smiled. "Only a moment Ariadne, my dear and then I'll release him into your capable hands."

She nodded, giving him a quick hug before placing a hand on Arthur's arm, drawing him from his thoughts. "I'll be in the hallway when you're ready." She smiled, and walked off.

Arthur was in the kitchen for a few minutes, and when he came out, his face had both a worrisome air and a confident one. "Are you ok?"

He smiled. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. You ready?"

She nodded, and breathed deeply when Arthur passed her to open the door. Breathing in the cool, refreshing air, she stepped up to the threshold, and looking up gasped. It was snowing outside, the flakes falling in little arcs as it fell from the heavy clouds. The city around them was blanketed in several inches of the fluff, and the muffled sounds coupled with the cool air and swirling snow made her feel like she was in a dream. And as Arthur took her hand, she realized it was a wonderful, beautiful dream.

"It's so beautiful."

"Yeah…it is." She smiled, starting down the sidewalk toward the street. His car was parked in front of the house, and it was easy to see which one it was. Shivering against the cold air, she slid into the passenger seat, smiling slightly when he closed her door before making it around to the other side. They sat in relative silence for a few minutes, before he peeled out of his spot and started off to her apartment. The snow was falling at the same pace, and even though there was hardly any cars on the road, Arthur took it slow. And she was thankful for that. Closing her eyes for a few minutes, she awoke to Arthur shaking her shoulder softly. "Ariadne." He whispered.

"Hm? Oh. I'm sorry I fell asleep." She sat up, yawning.

He smiled. "Don't be. I didn't mind."

She smiled back, before getting out of the car, Arthur right behind her. She found that as soon as she stepped onto the sidewalk, that their hands joined once more, and she blushed slightly as the flakes caught on her hair.

They walked in comfortable silence the only sounds the falling snow and their own breaths. She stopped in front of a lamp post, one block from her apartment building, and turned to look at him.

"Arthur?"

"Hm?" He stared down at her, and in the light he looked…hot.

"What does this mean for us? I mean…we kissed twice tonight and I—"

He silenced her with a kiss, pulling back slowly to stare into her eyes. Their breaths mingling together in the air. She felt so secure so close to him.

"Ari…I like you. A lot. And I—well what I mean is…I'd like to well...Ariadne. Would you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?"

Her smile grew wider on her face, and she kissed him again. "Yes I'd love to—but what if we become Cobb and Mal? I don't think I could—" He silenced her again with a kiss.

"Never. I'll never let that happen. I'll never let you get hurt like that." He kissed her again, with more passion this time.

"I trust you. Always."

He smiled, his arms around her waist and his forehead resting against her own. They kissed again, and she leaned against the lamp post as the snow fell down around them. And then, finally breaking apart, she grabbed his hand and pulled him along the sidewalk, both wearing equally stupid grins. And she led him back to her house.

**Anyway, that's it! I hope you guys liked it a lot. :) I don't know how much I like this ending, but I think it's cute enough. Thanks again to everyone who's read. And remember to review! It's your last chance to tell me what you thought, and how I should improve. :) Thanks for all the reviews, and story alerts, and favorites. It really means a lot to me, and it always makes me smile. I hope you stick around and read/review some of my other stories. :) Thanks again! **


	5. Chapter 5

A little Author's Note

Hi! I'm sorry, no as you've probably guessed this isn't another chapter. It is complete. But…that doesn't mean it's over. If you guys would like a…sequel if you will—then just leave a review (or a Pm I enjoy both) letting me know that you think I should continue this little story. And, if you had an idea…at all that you'd like to see during the course of this, don't be afraid to tell me about it. I love trying to incorporate different ideas into a story.

That's really it. Thank you to everyone who reviewed this story, to everyone who favorite it, and to everyone who alerted it because you guys really made me smile and really drove me to write longer and better chapters. I hope I never disappointed. Thanks again especially to Legal-Assaassin-006 (fun name I know), Glee Plane, and because you guys never failed to review after every chapter. Thanks again. Till next time.

Troypayisbetter


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